Legalizing Pot Makes Lots of Cents for Our Cash-Starved Government

By Paul Armentano, AlterNet. Posted April 14, 2009.

Even the most mainstream figures are now taking the idea of legalizing and taxing pot seriously -- budget-crunched governments should listen.

What could you do with an extra $14 billion dollars? Members of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and other likeminded organizations will be asking government officials that very question on Wednesday, April 15th, when they present a mock check to the U.S. Treasury Office.

"We represent the millions of otherwise law-abiding cannabis consumers who are ready, willing, vocal and able to contribute needed tax revenue to America's struggling economy," says Allen St. Pierre, NORML's Executive Director. "All we ask in exchange for our $14 billion is that our government respects our decision to use marijuana privately and responsibly."

But it's not just NORML calling on lawmakers to tax and regulate marijuana. In today's economic climate, the question is: who isn't?

Read on...

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